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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Walthamstow 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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78
The issue of the Memorandum recalls a previously unexplained
outbreak of vomiting amongst 19 girls attending the South Walthamstow
Central Girls' School in November 1931. The matter was
investigated at the time but nothing definite could be found—the
enamel of the jug used appeared intact and no residue of the lemonade,
nor the crystals used, was available for analysis.
In the light of the knowledge now available there can be no
reasonable doubt that the vomiting was due to antimony poisoning.
Thus the lemonade had been prepared from crystals of a well-known
brand for an ''old girls'" party on November 15th. A considerable
amount was left over and stood overnight in the enamelled jug.
The lemonade was consumed at playtime next morning and vomiting
began by dinner time; some girls were absent during the afternoon
but all had recovered and were back at school on November 17th.
Prevention of Blindness.—No action was necessary under
Section 66 of the Public Health (Amendment), Act, 1925, for the
prevention of blindness or the treatment of persons suffering from
any disease of or injury to the eyes.
The table given below shows particulars of new cases of Tuberculosis and of all deaths from the disease in the Borough during 1932
| Age Periods. | New Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary . | Pulmonary. | Non-Pulmonary. | |||||
| M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | |
| Under 1 yr. | — | 1 | 1 | - | — | 1 | 3 | - |
| 1—5 yrs. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | 1 | — | 2 |
| 5—10 yrs. | — | — | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| 10—15 yrs. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 15—20 yrs. | 8 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — |
| 20—25 yrs. | 15 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 25—35 yrs. | 21 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 14 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| 35—45 yrs. | 16 | 13 | 2 | — | 9 | 4 | - | - |
| 45—55 yrs. | 6 | 4 | — | 2 | 9 | 4 | 1 | — |
| 55—65 yrs. | 12 | 3 | — | — | 12 | 1 | - | — |
| 65 yrs. and upwards | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | - | - |
| Totals | 82 | 70 | 21 | 13 | 54 | 33 | 9 | 5 |
| 152 | 34 | 87 | 14 | |||||
| 186 | 101 | |||||||
The 101 deaths represent a death rate of 0.74 per 1,000
population.